The long spear halted before Ling Bai, not retracting. Seeing the slight stiffness on the other’s face, Bai Shan’s mouth curled into a smug smile. He slightly turned his head and cast his gaze toward Xiao Yan. Upon seeing Su Xiao, who had fallen nearby, along with three senior students from the Inner Academy, the smugness on his lips gradually faded. A hint of coldness and jealousy could not help but flicker in his eyes. His proud nature made him extremely dislike the feeling of being completely overpowered. In the Outer Academy, he was once unquestionably the star, respected and admired by all the students. This treatment shattered the moment Xiao Yan appeared, making Bai Shan, who did not have a broad heart, harbor no good feelings towards Xiao Yan.
Although he had gained many benefits by following Xiao Yan, he firmly believed that it was merely a mutually beneficial arrangement. Xiao Yan was merely using his strength to obtain the fire energy to satisfy his own desires. In Bai Shan’s mind, he had never truly regarded him as a leader; it was just a transaction where both sides benefited. “But the biggest winner in this transaction is still him…”
Glancing at some of the new students, Bai Shan saw the respect and admiration in their eyes for Xiao Yan. Clearly, Xiao Yan’s audacity to confront the senior student team had successfully earned their genuine support. “These scoundrels, have they completely forgotten that without us, could Xiao Yan alone accomplish all this?”
Biting his teeth fiercely, Bai Shan’s suppressed anger could not help but erupt from his heart. As his anger grew, Bai Shan’s gaze suddenly turned cold. He tightened his grip on the long spear, took a step forward, and swung the spear horizontally, slamming it heavily on Ling Bai’s chest, who had already given up fighting and had no defense. Immediately, the latter’s face turned red, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, stumbling back several steps before finally sitting down on the ground. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with rage.
“What are you looking at? Not satisfied?” Seeing the rage in Ling Bai’s eyes, Bai Shan sneered, taking another step forward, about to vent his anger once more. Suddenly, a shadow flashed in front of him, and Xiao Yan’s low voice rang out, “He has already surrendered. Why do you need to attack again? Is it glorious to injure an undefended person?”
“Hmph.” Xiao Yan’s interference made Bai Shan’s hand holding the spear tremble slightly. He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and hmphed. With the spear in hand, he turned and rushed into the battle circle between the new and old students. The long spear in his hand emitted a hissing sound, like a silver python, fierce and majestic.
Watching Bai Shan leave with a frown, Xiao Yan glanced at Wu Hao, whose battle was also nearing its end. Seeing that Wu Hao was already in a favorable position, he then turned his head and waved his hand, tossing a bottle of healing medicine to the enraged Ling Bai.
Ling Bai, catching the medicine bottle, was momentarily stunned. The rage on his face gradually dissipated. He did not return it, instead tearing open his clothes and pouring the cool medicine onto his bloody wound. He then slowly exhaled, flicking his ring and shooting a beam of blue light at Xiao Yan.
Reaching out, Xiao Yan caught the blue light. It turned out to be a pale blue fire crystal card, with the number 86 on it, the highest number Xiao Yan had seen on a fire crystal card in recent times. Holding the fire crystal card, Xiao Yan did not return it, as it was a trophy for their team, not just his. Therefore, he simply cupped his fists to Ling Bai in thanks.
“Your companion is not much. Tell him, I will repay the blow from today,” Ling Bai said indifferently, leaning against a tree trunk.
“Sorry,” Xiao Yan sighed. Indeed, Bai Shan had gone too far. If he had injured Ling Bai during the battle, no one would have said anything. But to strike so hard after Ling Bai had already surrendered and dropped all defenses was quite a breach of etiquette.
“Although you used the power of the new students to defeat our three teams, you won’t be able to enter the Inner Academy with all your rewards,” Ling Bai said, his gaze fixed on the battle between Wu Hao and Xiu Yan. There, in a hard clash, Xiu Yan had shown signs of defeat.
“I know, there are still two so-called black and white gatekeepers,” Xiao Yan shrugged.
“It seems you know quite a bit,” Ling Bai said, raising an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
“Earlier, I wasn’t boasting. This ‘Fire Energy Hunt’ is specifically set up by the Inner Academy. Since many new students come to the Inner Academy with great arrogance, the Inner Academy set up this hunt to temper their sharp edges. So, it’s not easy to forcibly break out of the forest.”
“I only want to ensure we don’t enter the Inner Academy with nothing. Moreover, the method you use to temper the new students’ spirits can easily cause resentment. Perhaps they are doing this to the new students because they have experienced it before. But this cycle, generation after generation, is not right. Even if we don’t resist now, there will be new students leading teams to protest in the future,” Xiao Yan said slowly, watching as Wu Hao finally sent Xiu Yan retreating several steps with a single palm. He knew the battle was over.
Ling Bai fell silent, aware that the current senior students were participating in the Fire Energy Hunt not just to rob fire energy, but also to heal their past wounds.
“Well, the battle is over for now,” Xiao Yan exhaled, casting his gaze toward the chaotic battlefield. With the addition of Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Bai Shan, the remaining inner academy senior students were finally overwhelmed. After wounding several new students, they were thoroughly subdued.
“Sigh, the losses are heavy… These senior students are indeed strong! The Inner Academy is truly a place to hone one’s skills,” Xiao Yan shook his head, glancing at the empty field. Originally, there were nearly forty new students. After defeating twelve coordinated senior students, only about fifteen could still stand. The rest were lying on the ground, temporarily losing their combat ability due to injuries.
As the last senior student fell, the empty field erupted in cheers mixed with pain. The few new students who could still stand, unable to contain their excitement, laughed joyfully. The previously tense atmosphere was now filled with a joyful ambiance.
“Everyone, take a look at your companions. Apply these healing medicines to them. The others, collect the fire crystal cards from the senior students. Since we’ve won, it’s time to divide the spoils,” Xiao Yan smiled, stepping forward and taking out a pile of healing medicines from his ring, placing them on a rock.
“Yes!” The excited new students, after this major victory, almost followed Xiao Yan’s orders without question. They echoed in unison and began to act accordingly, making the ground once again bustling with activity.
“Are you okay?” Xiao Yan asked, smiling, as Xun Er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao approached him.
All three nodded. Xun Er and Hu Jia were fine, but Wu Hao was slightly out of breath, having clearly expended a lot of energy and stamina in his earlier hard fight with Xiu Yan.
Xiao Yan lightly tapped his ring, and a small jade bottle appeared. Tipping it slightly, he poured out three round pills and handed them to the three. “This will help you quickly recover. Take them.”
Xun Er smiled and took the pill, swallowing it without hesitation. Hu Jia and Wu Hao paused briefly before taking theirs, murmuring a thank you.
Smiling casually, Xiao Yan looked at the busy field and let out a long sigh. Finally, the three teams were dealt with. Next, after a day of rest, they could challenge the so-called black and white gatekeepers.
“Tsk, indeed, he has some skill. To actually swallow those three senior student teams whole,” atop a treetop in the vast forest, two elders slowly opened their eyes, looked at each other, and laughed in mild amazement.
“That little guy named Xiao Yan seems quite capable. To defeat Su Xiao so quickly, even though he had the advantage of that sound wave Dou Technique, his decisive attacks and keen eye are something even some inner academy seniors lack,” one elder praised.
“Indeed. Perhaps after the hunt, we should ask Hu Gan to send some information about this little guy. I think his potential might put him in the top ten of the ‘Strong List’ after training in the Inner Academy,” the other elder nodded and smiled.
“Mm.” The first elder nodded, stretching lazily, “But the new students’ good luck is about to run out. This year’s black and white gatekeepers are tough guys who often earn fire energy in the arena. Huh?”
Before he could finish, the elder’s face changed slightly, and he exclaimed, turning to look at the other elder. “These five auras…? Good job, didn’t expect a fisherman waiting for the clash between the clam and the stork. No wonder they are known for their cunning in the arena.”
In the empty forest, Xiao Yan smiled, looking at the fifteen pale blue fire crystal cards in his hand, and let out a long breath. This was a big haul. Glancing at the new students, he said, “Now, we can start dividing the spoils.”
Just as Xiao Yan finished speaking, an unfamiliar, faint laugh suddenly echoed from the dense forest, reverberating in the air and making everyone stiffen.
“Tsk, this year’s new students are indeed exceptional, able to defeat the other eight senior student teams. But now, the fire energy you’ve obtained, we’ll collect it all.” The laughing face froze, and Xiao Yan’s eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. He slowly lifted his head, gazing at the dense forest. There, the leaves rustled, and five figures, exuding a fierce aura, emerged like human-shaped beasts, standing on the trees, looking down at the crowd below.
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